The crisis in Gaza

Sir, – The rather naive solution to the conflict in Gaza offered by Prof John Kelly (Letters, July 24th) leaves one speechless. It demonstrates a partisan approach to the conflict, rooted in disregard for the facts and characterised by double standards. Israel kills civilians and it is committing war crimes, Hamas fire rockets indiscriminately into Israel to kill and maim and uses civilians in Gaza as shields and it is merely defending itself.

The “root cause” of the terrible situation in Gaza would not be addressed by granting the people of both Palestine and Gaza the right to have their own governments and to travel within and out of their territories. While the two-state solution is the only viable long-term one, the root cause of failed negotiations is Hamas and its refusal to recognise, and exist alongside, the state of Israel.

The Hamas charter categorically rejects the two-state solution, a position promoted by Hamas officials but conveniently ignored by most critics of Israel. Hamas does not want to coexist; first and foremost it wants to see the destruction of the state of Israel. Israel has a right to exist and defend itself and while it is tragic that civilians in Gaza are suffering, a significant proportion of responsibility and blame for the death toll must rest with Hamas.

To claim that Hamas’s actions are “more minor” also shows ignorance and a total disregard of the suffering experienced by most Israelis. This is not a one-sided conflict. The fact that fewer Israelis have been killed is not due to “ineffective” rockets but largely to Israel’s capability to protect itself and the value it places on life. Perhaps it would be more agreeable to many critics of Israel if the body count there was much higher.

Hamas has proven time and time again that it has little regard for the welfare of the people of Gaza. There is ample evidence that it is using hospitals, residential areas and schools as platforms for attacks but I see very little condemnation from the media, the UN or those groups who claim to have the welfare of Palestinians at heart. I find it ironic that Prof Kelly calls for a recognition by Israel to afford the same “freedoms” to the Palestinians. Hamas administers Gaza through terror, corruption and intimidation with little regard for life, equality and religious tolerance. Until this is addressed the battles will indeed continue. – Yours, etc,

CHRIS HARBIDGE,

Kimmage Road Lower

Dublin 6W

Sir, – As the carnage in Gaza continues, Unicef reports the deaths of 121 children, with more than 900 injured (Irish Times report, July 23rd). This is truly a shocking statistic.You quote the spokesman for the UN office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jens Laerke, as saying “There is literally no safe place for civilians.”

The collective punishment of the civilian population of Gaza by Israel is wrong. The conflict will never be resolved by inflicting such trauma on civilians.It is time for the international community to take a stand against the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, especially children. The words of the humanistic philosopher Eric Fromm seem very appropriate at this time: “Love of one’s country that is not part of one’s love for humanity is not love, but idolatrous worship.” – Yours, etc,

TOMAS Ó MEACHAIR,

Ráithín an Róistigh,

Dún Garbhan,

Co Cill Channaigh

Sir, – When the current flare-up of the Hamas/Israeli conflict ends, the only thing achieved will have been a great loss of life. Sadly, many of those killed would have been oblivious as to whether they were Palestinian or Israeli simply because they would have been too young to know. The reckless killing and targeting of innocents is at all times morally bankrupt. Only the body count distinguishes between the indiscriminate targeting of civilians by Hamas (technology nullifies their more deadly intent) and Israel’s ineffectual “pinpointing” of targets in Gaza where the death tally is 80 per cent civilian. We continue with our lives as usual while this chaos carries on not far from the border of an EU country. Yours, etc,

JOHN BELLEW,

Paughanstown,

Co Louth

A chara, – One only has to look at the actions of the man considered the father of Irish foreign policy, Frank Aiken, in the 1950s and 1960s to see how subservient our government has become to other countries. Aiken vigorously supported the rights of small nations to self-determination and supported the liberation of African nations from Western colonisers when, broadly speaking, this stance went against how the Western world saw it. As Desmond Tutu famously said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Our government decided yesterday that there shouldn’t be an inquiry into Israel’s actions against the Palestinian people. I wonder what Frank Aiken would have done? – Is mise,